New Delhi – ATOAI is delighted with the announcement of the opening of 30 unscaled peaks and 10 high-altitude trekking routes by the Uttarakhand Government. This is a huge milestone achieved and we appreciate the Government of Uttarakhand for taking this step-in making Uttarakhand one of the top adventure destinations.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had in 2019 issued a circular for opening 137 peaks across Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and J&K. The order could not be implemented immediately in Uttarakhand as the forest department sought time to finalise modal.

Considering various factors, the forest department found 30 peaks appropriate for mountaineering and another 10 peaks for high-altitude trekking. An order in this regard has been issued” said an official note.

The 30 new peaks include Avalanche (6443 m), Manda II (6529 m) and Manda III (6510 m), Kali Dhang (6373 m), Bhirgu Parbat (6041 m), Devtoli (6788 m), Rishi Pahar (6992 m), Rishi Kot (6236 m), Garur Parbat (6504 m), Sumeru Parbat (6330 m), Dunagiri (7066 m), Panchachuli-I (6904 m), Panchachuli-II (6312 m), Panchachuli-III (6334 m), and Panchachuli-IV (6334 m) among others.

The 10 new trekking peaks are Bhagnyu, Lamchir, Lamchir South, Nar Parbat, Narayan Parbat, Nanda Lapak, Ratangarian, Yan Buk, Mahalay Parbat and Pawagarh
Veteran mountaineer and president of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation Harshwanti Bisht expressed pleasure over the opening of new peaks. She said the IMF
will share 25 per cent of expedition fees with the Uttarakhand forest department.

Principal Secretary (Forests) RK Sudhanshu said the forest department will no more levy separate fees on expedition groups. Interestingly, in a bid to introduce uniformity, the MHA in 1994 suggested mountain states to not levy additional expedition fees from mountaineering groups.

Double levy of expedition fees by the IMF and state government has been forcing domestic and foreign groups to head to other Himalayan states. They now hope for a boost to Uttarakhand’s tourism industry.

List of newly opened peaks in Uttarakhand:
1) AVALANCHE: 6443 m
2) BHARIGU PARBAT: 6041 m
3) KALIDHANG: 6373 m
4) YANBUK: 5953 m
5) RATANGARIAN: 5858 m
6) CHIRBAS PARBAT: 6529 m
7) MAHALAYA PARBAT: 5947 m
8) BALAKUN: 6471 m
9) BETARTHOLI: 6352 m
10) BETARTHOLI SOUTH: 6318 m
11) BHAGNYU: 5706 m
12) GARUR PARBAT: 6507 m
13) GARUR FORKED: 6267 m
14) PARBATI PARBAT: 6257 m
15) PAWAGARH: 5306 m
16) PURBI DUNAGIRI: 6489 m
17) RISHI PAHAR: 6992 m
18) NARAYAN PARBAT: 5965 m
19) NAR PARBAT: 5855 m

20) DANGTHAL: 6050 m

21) DEVISTHAN -I: 6678 m

22) DEVISTHAN – II: 6529 m
23) DEVTOLI: 6788 m
24) DUNAGIRIL 7066 m
25) JANHUKOT: 6806 m
26) LAMCHIR: 5662 m
27) LAMCHIR SOUTH: 5209 m
28) LAMPAK SOUTH: 6234 m
29) MAHALAYA PARBAT: 5947 m
30) MANDA-II: 6529 m
31) MANDA-III: 6510 m
32) NANDA BHANAR: 6269 m
33) NANDA KHANI: 6029 m
34) NANDA LAPAK: 5782 m
35) PANCHACHULI-II: 6904 m
36) PANCHACHULI-III: 6312 m
37) PANCHACHULI-IV: 6334 m
38) RISHI KOT: 6236 m
39) RISHI KOT: 6911 m

40) SUMERU PARBAT: 6330 m

Officiating President, Mr Vaibhav Kala said he is delighted with this news and said it has been great to have worked with Uttarakhand on the Trekking Guidelines and ATOAI is hoping for a huge promotion of mountaineering in the state. He further added with the recent decision of no extra fees on expedition groups and Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) announcement to share 25 per cent of expedition fees with the Uttarakhand forest department; both these moves are great and we look forward to many more mountaineering expeditions to the state.